Methods and systems for authenticating users
First Claim
1. A method of authenticating users to reduce transaction risks, said method comprising:
- storing biometric authentication data and personal data for each of a plurality of authorized users in an authentication system, and storing protected resources in a server, wherein each of the protected resources is associated with at least a corresponding one of the plurality of authorized users, the authentication system is different than the server, and the server is included in a first communications channel;
indicating a desire to conduct at least one transaction, determining whether the at least one transaction requires access to the protected resources, and when the at least one transaction requires access to protected resources inputting information in a workstation, wherein a workstation user performs said indicating and inputting operations at the workstation;
determining whether the inputted information is known and determining a state of a communications device when the inputted information is known;
transmitting a biometric authentication request from the server over the first communications channel to the authentication system when the state of the communications device is enrolled;
extracting a level of risk from the biometric authentication request;
determining a biometric authentication data requirement corresponding to the extracted level of risk by consulting an authentication policy including policy levels of risk associated with biometric authentication data requirements, comparing the extracted level of risk against the policy levels of risk, and determining the biometric authentication data requirement to be the biometric authentication data requirement that corresponds to the policy level of risk that matches the extracted level of risk;
generating a biometric authentication data capture request in response to the biometric authentication request, and transmitting the biometric authentication data capture request from the authentication system to the communications device, wherein the communications device is associated with one of the plurality of authorized users and the one authorized user is associated with the inputted information;
validating the communications device;
verifying that the at least one transaction is pending;
obtaining the biometric authentication data capture request transmission, capturing biometric authentication data in accordance with the biometric authentication data capture request from the workstation user with the communications device, and transmitting the captured biometric authentication data from the communications device to the authentication system over a second communications channel;
validating the identity of the user by comparing the captured biometric authentication data against biometric authentication data of the one authorized user stored in the authentication system;
generating a one-time pass-phrase, storing the one-time pass-phrase on the authentication system and transmitting the one-time pass-phrase to the communications device over the second communications channel when the workstation user is authenticated as the one authorized user;
obtaining the one-time pass-phrase from the communications device and entering the one-time pass-phrase into the workstation;
transmitting the one-time pass-phrase from the workstation to the authentication system over the first communications channel, and comparing the transmitted one-time pass-phrase against the stored one-time pass-phrase; and
granting access to the protected resources of the one authorized user when the transmitted and stored one-time pass-phrases match.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of authenticating users to reduce transaction risks includes indicating a desire to conduct a transaction and determining whether the transaction requires access to protected resources. Moreover, the method determines whether inputted information is known, determines a state of a communications device when the inputted information is known, and transmits a biometric authentication request from a server to an authentication system when the state of the communications device is enrolled. Additionally, the method includes validating the communications device, capturing biometric authentication data in accordance with a biometric authentication data capture request with the communications device, biometrically authenticating the user, generating a one-time pass-phrase and storing the one-time pass-phrase on the authentication system when the user is authenticated, comparing the transmitted one-time pass-phrase against the stored one-time pass-phrase, and granting access to the protected resources when the transmitted and stored one-time pass-phrases match.
289 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of authenticating users to reduce transaction risks, said method comprising:
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storing biometric authentication data and personal data for each of a plurality of authorized users in an authentication system, and storing protected resources in a server, wherein each of the protected resources is associated with at least a corresponding one of the plurality of authorized users, the authentication system is different than the server, and the server is included in a first communications channel; indicating a desire to conduct at least one transaction, determining whether the at least one transaction requires access to the protected resources, and when the at least one transaction requires access to protected resources inputting information in a workstation, wherein a workstation user performs said indicating and inputting operations at the workstation; determining whether the inputted information is known and determining a state of a communications device when the inputted information is known; transmitting a biometric authentication request from the server over the first communications channel to the authentication system when the state of the communications device is enrolled; extracting a level of risk from the biometric authentication request; determining a biometric authentication data requirement corresponding to the extracted level of risk by consulting an authentication policy including policy levels of risk associated with biometric authentication data requirements, comparing the extracted level of risk against the policy levels of risk, and determining the biometric authentication data requirement to be the biometric authentication data requirement that corresponds to the policy level of risk that matches the extracted level of risk; generating a biometric authentication data capture request in response to the biometric authentication request, and transmitting the biometric authentication data capture request from the authentication system to the communications device, wherein the communications device is associated with one of the plurality of authorized users and the one authorized user is associated with the inputted information; validating the communications device; verifying that the at least one transaction is pending; obtaining the biometric authentication data capture request transmission, capturing biometric authentication data in accordance with the biometric authentication data capture request from the workstation user with the communications device, and transmitting the captured biometric authentication data from the communications device to the authentication system over a second communications channel; validating the identity of the user by comparing the captured biometric authentication data against biometric authentication data of the one authorized user stored in the authentication system; generating a one-time pass-phrase, storing the one-time pass-phrase on the authentication system and transmitting the one-time pass-phrase to the communications device over the second communications channel when the workstation user is authenticated as the one authorized user; obtaining the one-time pass-phrase from the communications device and entering the one-time pass-phrase into the workstation; transmitting the one-time pass-phrase from the workstation to the authentication system over the first communications channel, and comparing the transmitted one-time pass-phrase against the stored one-time pass-phrase; and granting access to the protected resources of the one authorized user when the transmitted and stored one-time pass-phrases match. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A system for authenticating users that reduces transaction risks, said system comprising:
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a computer configured as a server, said server including at least a database, said server being configured to store within said database a first configurable policy, to determine whether at least one transaction requires access to protected resources when a workstation user indicates a desire to conduct the at least one transaction, to receive information inputted by the workstation user, to determine whether the inputted information is known, and to determine a level of risk associated with the at least one transaction; at least one workstation comprising at least a workstation computer operationally coupled to said server, said at least one workstation being configured to receive information input by the workstation user, wherein said at least one workstation, said server and a network comprise a first communications channel; an authentication system including an authentication database, said authentication system being configured to communicate with said server, to store within said authentication database biometric authentication data and personal data associated with each of a plurality of authorized users, to store an authentication policy, to verify that the at least one transaction is pending, and to conduct a biometric authentication process over a second communications channel in response to a communication from said first communications channel; and a communications device included in said second channel, said communications device being associated with one of the plurality of authorized users and being configured to communicate with said authentication system over said second communications channel, to receive a biometric authentication data capture request transmitted over said second communications channel from said authentication system, to capture biometric authentication data in accordance with the biometric authentication data capture request from the workstation user and transmit the captured biometric data to said authentication system over said second communications channel, wherein said communications device is not configured to store the captured biometric data, the one authorized user is associated with information inputted by the workstation user, said authentication system is further configured to validate said communications device, to determine a state of said communications device when the inputted information is known, to transmit the biometric authentication data capture request corresponding to the level of risk of the at least one transaction, to validate the identity of the user by comparing the captured biometric data against biometric authentication data of the one authorized user, and generate and transmit a one-time pass-phrase over said second communications channel when the workstation user is authenticated as the one authorized user, said communications device is further configured to display the at least one transaction, to receive and display the one-time pass-phrase such that the one-time pass-phrase can be inputted into said at least one workstation and transmitted over said first communications channel to said authentication system, said authentication system is further configured to compare the one-time pass-phrase transmitted from said authentication system against the one-time pass-phrase received by said authentication system, and said server is configured to grant access to the protected resources of the one authorized user when the one-time pass-phrase transmitted from said authentication system matches the one-time pass-phrase received by said authentication system. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of authenticating users to reduce transaction risks, said method comprising:
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storing biometric authentication data and personal data for each of a plurality of authorized users in an authentication system, and storing protected resources in a server, wherein each of the protected resources is associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of authorized users, the authentication system is different than the server, and the server is included in a first communications channel; indicating a desire to conduct at least one transaction, determining whether the desired at least one transaction requires access to the protected resources and when the at least one transaction requires access to protected resources, inputting information in a workstation, wherein a workstation user performs said indicating and inputting operations at the workstation; determining whether the inputted information is known and determining a state of a communications device when the inputted information is known; determining a level of risk for the at least one transaction, and transmitting an authentication request including the level of risk from the server over the first communications channel to the authentication system when the state of the communications device is enrolled; extracting the level of risk from the biometric authentication request; determining a biometric authentication data requirement corresponding to the extracted level of risk; determining an authentication capture level corresponding to the biometric authentication data requirement for the at least one transaction, and communicating a biometric authentication data capture request to the communications device, wherein the biometric authentication data capture request includes at least the biometric authentication capture level; invoking a capture level security application in the communications device and inputting the authentication capture level in the communications device such that the communications device displays the biometric authentication data requirement for the at least one transaction; validating the communications device and verifying that the communications device is enrolled; capturing biometric authentication data in accordance with the biometric authentication capture request from the workstation user with the communications device, and transmitting the captured biometric authentication data from the communications device to the authentication system over the second communications channel; validating the identity of the user by comparing the captured biometric authentication data against biometric authentication data of the one authorized user stored in the authentication system; and granting access to the protected resources of the one authorized user when the captured biometric data and the biometric authentication data of the one authorized user match. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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Specification